I recently read a very interesting article about the strangest places in Bulgaria. There I found a lot of interesting things and lots of ideas for photos. I saw that the Tsar Asen Mine is near Pazardzhik and I was simply obliged to take some pictures there. Apart from the fact that the abandoned crater of the mine is very interesting, the area of Tsar Asen village also has a very beautiful nature. I was a bit late at the spot around 11:00 am – “the worst time for any photographer” 🙂 There was not even one cloud to cover a bit of the strong March sun. Even before reaching the Tsar Asen Mine, great views began to emerge:
After these wonderful meadows, you reach a fork ont the road where an almost eaten by rust sign indicates the “road” to the village of Levski where you should go. The road was once paved, but now there are only pathetic remains of asphalt. The crater of the mine is visible from the road:
Near the abandoned mine Tsar Asen there is a high hill where the view is even more captivating:
Tsar Asen mine
The pictures can hardly show how huge the crater of the Tsar Asen mine really is. Only when you stand in front of the “hole in the Earth” do you see how large this modern “natural” landmark is. Perhaps this vastness and the fact that such a view is not very common, attracts photographers and tourists to the mine.
The surprise for me was a few hundred meters down the so-called road to the village of Levski. I call it that because there are only memories left this road. Although there are still quite a few people from the nearby villages of Tsar Asen and Levski, that still use it because it saves a lot of detours.
After the excavations, these “stone pyramids” were formed in the area. The whole area is very interesting as a relief – not typical for Bulgaria. It’s like a desert with high dunes and artificial ponds, where you can find all the chemical elements.
Elshitsa mine
I then proceeded towards the village of Levski, having previously seen that around the village of Elshitsa there is also a similar crater from an abandoned mine in the area. Although there were still traces of activity there, I’m not very sure if the Elshica mine is still operational. To reach it even before the fork for the village of Elshitsa you can see the buildings of the mine, and you have to continue in this direction without departing for the village itself. After passing the buildings and warehouses, you come to a paved road where only heavy trucks are apparently moving, because after passing only a few hundred meters, my car almost broke down. Shortly after, you reach the mine itself.
The Elshica mine crater is much larger, with a road in the middle:
At first glance, it looked like there was some activity here. Either way, the Elshitsa mine is not as interesting to photographers and tourists as it is not clearly shaped like the Tsar Asen mine. However, I hope I have managed to show a more non-standard and interesting side of Bulgarian nature and its resources.